RAYMOND BURNS took another stride towards establishing himself as one of Europe's leading tournament professionals when he moved into second place behind a revived Steven Richardson in the French Open at the Paris National Club yesterday.

Richardson, a Ryder Cup player in 1991, but in the doldrums since he won the German Masters three years ago, shot a 63 to equal the course record set by Paul Broadhurst on the way to victory here 12 months ago. It gave him a 13-under par total of 131, but Burns, making judicious use of a new 10 degree driver and his trusty long putter, had 66 for 133, just ahead of Broadhurst and Ian Woosnam, who also revelled in the benign weather to return 64 and 65 respectively.

Ronan Rafferty shares 11th place at eight-under par. Paul McGinley had seven birdies in a 67, Francis Howley, who played the inward nine in 32 to make the cut, and David Higgins, whose 70 put him at five under par is one behind former French champion Philip Walton. But no plaudits for European number one Colin Montgomerie who missed the three-under par cut despite an eagle at the last.

Burns is only 22, but he is playing with a maturity beyond his years. So far everything is going according to plan and he now has the opportunity to improve on his best finish to date, a fifth place in the Desert Classic in Dubai in March.

Seven birdies, five of them in the last eight holes, put him into contention for the £100,000 title this weekend, the most spectacular being at the 13th. There he hit an eight-iron shot of 142 yards to within an inch of the hole, then celebrated with birdie fours at the 14th and 18th. His only mistake was to three-putt the 10th from the lower level, and he was fortunate to escape penalty at the 15th after pushing his drive into the water hazard. His ball ran down the bank towards the water, but was held up by a tuft of grass and he gratefully wedged on to the green to save his par. Both are also the type of course on which he is not prone to lose patience. "Maybe I should stick to playing just the better courses because I seem to do much better on them " he added.

Rafferty is another who continually preaches about the need for the European Tour to concentrate on improving course's, but he had only himself to blame for not being closer to the lead.

After following up his opening 66 by getting out in 34 with an eagle three at the 18th, he played erratic on the inward half. He was punished for a poor drive to the sixth when he only just made the green and three-putted, then he missed excellent chances at the next two holes.

Rafferty failed to hit the holed from six feet at the seventh, and from under two feet for a birdie at the short eighth. However, his strike from 10 feet at the ninth got him back in par for a 70.

McGinley was out in 32 on the same stretch which Howley played as his inward half, knowing that he had to shoot 33 to escape the axe. That despite an eagle three at the 14th where he sank a 20-yard chip, which he promptly gave back by hitting into the water at the next.

Higgins played steady golf to produce an impressive follow up to his third place in the BMW Open last week, and has a promising springboard from which to strike out for his Tour card this weekend. Walton was not at hiss best, but a 71 kept him in contention, something David Feherty can only envy after following his sad opening 75 with a 73 that contained three bogeys at the start of the inward half. Des Smyth also went out after a second 73 for 146.